Introducing AX64 Time Machine - hybrid imaging/snapshot software

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Isso, Jan 18, 2013.

  1. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    Posts:
    4,944
    Location:
    The Pond - USA
    If you're talking about the old LIVE Windows HOT restore... then you should already know that is history. If you're talking about the "new" HOT restore that takes place after a reBOOT at the DOS-like NT Native Mode execution point, then that's a real problem. Make sure the Devs know of this anomaly... it's really supposed to work all the time.
     
  2. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    Posts:
    4,944
    Location:
    The Pond - USA
    Dagrev, in addition... if you're using Symantec (Norton) AV on your system, they have an optional, very aggressive service that runs at the same level (NT Native Mode) as FlashBack's HOT restore and it can be a real problem unless FlashBack is set to be EXCLUDED from their scanning.
     
  3. dagrev

    dagrev Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    214
    Location:
    USA
    Froggie, thanks for your response. I just talking about using the GUI within Windows and not having to use the boot menu option to initiate a restore (which I don't mind--but would like that to work). I mentioned this with the last beta and was told to just use the boot option as that seemed to work better.

    No I'm not using Norton, but Bitdefender.
     
  4. Stode

    Stode Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2012
    Posts:
    377
    Location:
    Finland
    The developers should hire Froggy as their Customer representative. ;)
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2016
  5. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    Posts:
    4,944
    Location:
    The Pond - USA
    I was their VIRTUAL VP of Marketing for a while "back in the day," but at $.52/hr I finally had to eat. In the end, Isso had to let me go due to budget constraints but promised future consideration when he got back on his feet once again.

    Isso... are you out there, boy? I'm out of flies... I'm STARVIN'! :-*
     
  6. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2005
    Posts:
    1,926
    LOL, good joke
     
  7. dagrev

    dagrev Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    214
    Location:
    USA
    Because this adds to the size of incrementals..... Anyone know how or why System Restore gets turned back on from time to time? I figured Win updates but can't confirm this is the reason. I check it every few days and about once every 6-8 weeks I find it back on. I am running nothing that I know of that would or could turn it back on.
     
  8. Masterblaster

    Masterblaster Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2013
    Posts:
    262
    Location:
    USA
    I have run across uninstall programs and registry cleaners that take snapshots before they perform their function. I believe some can reactivate System Restore.
     
  9. dagrev

    dagrev Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    214
    Location:
    USA
    Thanks. I don't think I've used an uninstall program and I know I haven't used a reg cleaner. But I'll keep my eye open for such changes if I do.
     
  10. carfal

    carfal Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2009
    Posts:
    177
    Hi dagrev.

    I've copied and pasted a solution that i posted over in the HDS forums regarding this issue.

     
  11. dagrev

    dagrev Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    214
    Location:
    USA
    Thanks so much. I tried that and got an error message saying it can't find gpedit.msc. I'm using Win 10 and don't know if that could be it or not.
     
  12. manolito

    manolito Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2013
    Posts:
    407
    GPEdit is the Group Policy Editor, and only the Professional and Enterprise versions of Windows have it. Users of the Home versions are out of luck...

    Cheers
    manolito
     
  13. pimjoosten

    pimjoosten Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2014
    Posts:
    36
    Location:
    Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Has anybody else noticed that build 703 makes a full image after a system crash? It used to be that AX64 made an incremental image, although it took the time of a full image, because the tracking file had to be restored. When making a new image after a system crash, I am asked to set the source and target location again, which also did not happen in previous versions. I have observed this issue in a Windows 7 x86 VM and on my physical Vista x86 machine.

    I find this quite cumbersome, as system crashes do happen (sometimes relatively often when troubleshooting an issue, sometimes I have to cold boot) and I do not have unlimited space available on my target drive. I forgot to test whether it is possible to restore an image from before the new full image (I have just deleted my test VM :( If that is not possible anymore that would be another issue.

    I already reported this to Xeroweight when I first observed it in one of the beta versions, but before pointing them out to this issue again, I thought it was good to know whether others have seen the same problem.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2016
  14. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    Posts:
    4,944
    Location:
    The Pond - USA
    I have also seen similar issues, not necessarily after a crash... sometimes just on its own it asks to reset the source and target disks and produces a new baseline following that. It's clearly a new issue so pls continue following it up.
     
  15. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2003
    Posts:
    20,590
    Yep, I also saw that issue, at times, but didn't give it a whole lot of thought, as I really don't like the whole tracking file issue.
     
  16. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2011
    Posts:
    4,944
    Location:
    The Pond - USA
    Just FYI... I reported an issue where if you change your image destination volume, then move through the process and COMMENT the new image about to be made... the next thing that happens is... NOTHING, it just goes back to the UI and sits there. If you then try that image once again (having already set the new DESTINATION specs previously), it works as expected (producing a FULL image at the new destination).

    This used to work just fine (this is how I would start a new backup chain) but the stutter step along the way has come up recently...
     
  17. dagrev

    dagrev Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    214
    Location:
    USA
    Yes. I too have had this many times and reported it in the last several betas but it still persists. In fact it happened today. I was really hoping this would be resolved by now. I was so disgusted I uninstalled FB and am just using Reflect because it always works.

    Once FB said I didn't have enough space on the backup drive, which I did, unless it was wanting to do a new image. I restored to a previous snapshot and after that it took normal incrementals.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2016
  18. manolito

    manolito Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2013
    Posts:
    407
    Reading the last couple of posts about the current build 703 it appears that this build is labeled as "stable release" only for marketing reasons. In reality it looks like just another beta build.

    My patience has run out now, for me it's time to move on. Version 1 of AX64 still works nicely on my computers (Win7, no UEFI, no GPT). Good luck for FlashBack, but I am outta here...


    Cheers
    manolito
     
  19. waylo

    waylo Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2014
    Posts:
    42
    Just happened to me now. Seems like the tracking is not robust enough to recover nicely after a system crash.
     
  20. dagrev

    dagrev Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    214
    Location:
    USA
    Waylo - Make sure you sent the devs this info if you haven't already so they are aware of this ongoing problem and that it's affecting more than a couple people.
     
  21. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2003
    Posts:
    20,590
    This is a problem with any imaging software that uses a tracking file system. For my purposes, it just isn't worth the hassle, given Macrium is already doing the job just fine.
     
  22. dagrev

    dagrev Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2012
    Posts:
    214
    Location:
    USA
    Long first snapshots is normal and expected after a crash, what we are experiencing is FB not recognizing previous images at all and asking for which drive we want to protect as if just installed. I can live with the long incremental after a crash, but not the real issue that going on. Thanks Peter for your help concerning Macrium in the past. I'm glad I bought it. Solid!
     
  23. pimjoosten

    pimjoosten Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2014
    Posts:
    36
    Location:
    Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Thank you all for your replies. I will certainly let Xeroweight know that it this a common issue. At the same time I am also starting to consider Macrium Reflect because of your positive experiences with it.
     
  24. cloggy49

    cloggy49 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2015
    Posts:
    93
    Location:
    The Netherlands
    @pimjoosten, I've given up using V1, V2 and FlashBack. A few days ago I had to restore my PC to an earlier stage. First I tried Flashback with the most recent incremental but it stopped at 31%. Then I restarted FlashBack with the -1 incremental and that restore process stopped at 74% !#$%^&* so I was fed up with it and decided to use Macrium to restore the most recent differential and that one completed without any problems. After this successful restore, I only used Flashback to recover some files that were changed since the last Macrium differential backup and then completely removed FlashBack. Note that the snapshots/incrementals were created with version 703. Also note that I never had any problems with Macrium, so this is a rock solid product.

    Now I'm using Macrium Reflect Free for the differentials and EaseUS ToDo for the Smart Backup (selected folders only) which end up with far, far less files than FlashBack and the 30 minutes backups only take 1-2 minutes but quite often less than 1 minute. The only Smart Backup that runs longer is the new day first differential and the weekly full backup (of selected folders).

    I understand that the developers of FlashBack try to do their best to get the product into a final, and most important, reliable stage but I think it still has a long way to go. As reliability is much more important than speed for me, Macrium Reflect is far better (even the freeware version). The excessive purchase price for 2 computers stops me from buying it so I can live with the freeware versions of Macrium and EaseUS Todo Backup.
     
  25. normanbg

    normanbg Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2013
    Posts:
    122
    Location:
    Israel
    FlashBack with Windows XP

    Despite what appears on the website, FlashBack (703) DOES work just fine under Windows XP.

    The live backups are fast, multi-partition system disks are handled well and restores are as expected: non-system partitions are restored hot in about a minute each, the system partition taking much longer because it involves a reboot.

    Just be aware that the Rescue Disc must be burned from a special iso file that Nathan is happy to provide. In fact, he is happy (and efficient and knowledgeable) to offer any help one may require despite the fact that FlashBack v2 does not formally support XP.

    I did not test the Startup Manager because I also use Rollback (for now, at least) and I don't need two pre-boot consoles.

    Norman
     
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.